Breastfeeding has been the best public health policy throughout history

Breastfeeding has long been the gold standard of infant nutrition. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Health Organization all recommend it.

Thus, the recent New York Times report on US interference in the World Health Assembly attempt to adopt the resolution that "bad milk is the healthiest for children and countries should strive to limit the inaccurate or misleading marketing of bad-milk substitutes. " concerned about public health.

As a pediatrician and nutritionist, I offered direct care to badfeeding mothers and children and I also advocated for badfeeding policies and practices. Scientific research in support of badfeeding is extremely clear, and most mothers in the United States have heard this message and learned from it. However, the marketing and sales of infant formula have increased in developing countries. This created a dilemma for the United States, which did not want to restrict the company's infant formula to 70 billion US dollars.

This has another price. The lack of badfeeding in the world is responsible for 800,000 child deaths a year.

Breast Milk, Thousands of Years

Direct badfeeding and exclusive badfeeding have been the only sustainable foods for infants for thousands of years. Initial efforts prior to the 1800s to provide alternative sources of animal milk for infant feeding resulted in a greater risk of disease, often infection, dehydration and malnutrition, as well as of deceased.

However, the ability to sterilize and evaporate cow's milk in the early 1800s made it possible to prepare other infant foods. Throughout this century, different brands of substitute foods, almost all made from cow's milk, have proliferated.

The American Medical Association first called for safety and quality standards in 1929. With more women working outside the home during and after the Second World War, the Use of infant formula is becoming more common. Formula makers have begun marketing the formula as a convenience product to enable a freer lifestyle and to replace badfeeding. Breastfeeding rates began to fall, falling to an unprecedented level of 24.7% in 1971.

Health professionals were not trained to support badfeeding, but the mothers were asking to reinstate badfeeding. The resurgence of badfeeding in the United States has been attributed in particular to the efforts of the founders of La Leche League International.

In 1981, the World Health Organization adopted the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. All participants at the World Health Assembly support badfeeding and limit the marketing of alternative foods, except the United States.

The code limits the inappropriate marketing of infant formula to families and prevents manufacturers from preparing consumers or health care facilities. The code also calls on all countries to adopt legislation to enforce it. The code does not specifically restrict access to the formula to families who need or want to use it.

In addition, the International Baby Action Network was created to protect the right of the mother to badfeed and the right of an infant to badfeed, as well as only to monitor compliance with the code. WHO and UNICEF subsequently developed the Innocenti Declaration on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding for Maternal and Child Health in 1990.

US-born children in 2014, 82.5 percent were initially badfed, but there were disparities based on socio-economic and demographic status.

A Lancet series on badfeeding indicated that continuation rates of badfeeding at 6 and 12 months remain low in most countries. The WHO Global Assessment Report of badfeeding also shows that no country very well respects all the indicators that control badfeeding support and protection. .

Why badfeeding is important

The benefits of badfeeding for children and mothers are irrefutable. The initiation of skin-to-skin contact immediately after childbirth, with early badfeeding in the first hour of life, supports the stability of the newborn and provides protective immunoglobulins, particularly Secretory IgA, and other immune protective factors. Human milk provides human milk oligosaccharides, facilitating the colonization of the intestinal tract by probiotics and establishing a microbiome that protects against pathogenic bacteria.

On the other hand, infants fed on bad milk have higher rates of gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. In the longer term, they present a higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, asthma and some childhood cancers compared to badfeeding cohorts.

In addition, mothers who do not badfeed according to current recommendations are at higher risk of postpartum hemorrhage, bad cancer, ovarian cancer, badfeeding. obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, including hypertension and myocardial infarction. About 20,000 cases of preventable deaths due to maternal bad cancer cases are attributed to a lack of badfeeding, according to the Lancet series.

Some of the poorest countries have the lowest initiation and badfeeding duration and could make the most of the improvement in badfeeding in terms of badfeeding. impact on health and economic benefits

The Department of Health and Social Services developed a media campaign in 2008 to support and promote badfeeding, in response to the declaration of health and safety. ; Innocenti.

In 2011, the US Surgeon General's Call for Action to Support Breastfeeding recognized the key elements required to support badfeeding, including the following: health care, families, communities and employment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supported quality improvement initiatives to modify maternity care practices to better support and promote badfeeding. Breastfeeding efforts at the community level have involved efforts to prevent obesity.

Influence of manufacturers of infant formulas

More badfed infants in the United States, formula makers turned their sights to developing countries. Infants in developing countries are most vulnerable to malnutrition, diarrhea, dehydration and death when they are fed with preparations contaminated with bacteria or parasites from unhealthy sources of malnutrition. water, or when bottles or bad are not cleaned regularly in warm, soapy water. Diarrheal diseases and the resulting dehydration are the leading cause of death among infants in poor countries where badfeeding can save lives.

Infant formula of good quality may be needed and save lives when bad milk is not available. . However, the formula industry has the most to gain financially when badfeeding fails. The formula industry should not influence public health policy. US delegates to the World Health Assembly must lead the way in supporting science-based health policies.

As a member of the global community that advocates for optimal public health and improved outcomes in maternal and child health, I believe the United States has the responsibility support evidence-based practices. In the area of ​​badfeeding support, the United States lags behind other resource-rich countries: universal health care, lack of paid maternity leave, and employment policies that are n They do not offer universal support to working mothers.